The longtime Avondale youth advocate believes Blackwell is making all the right moves when it comes to youth engagement and community policing.

Davis has heard the rumblings about an unsettled atmosphere within the department as well as speculation that the current administration, which inherited Blackwell, might want to replace him.

Mayor John Cranley recently met with the Sentinels police organization, which was planning a rally to publicly show support for the chief. But it was called off at the chief's urging.

After a groundbreaking for the new Boys and Girls Club in Price Hill Friday morning, WLWT News 5 asked the chief how he was dealing with the swirl of speculation.

"You know, I can only worry about doing a good job every day for the people of Cincinnati, especially the young people of Cincinnati,” Blackwell said.

Along those lines, the chief pointed out that he was very pleased with the way his officers have responded to the community engagement aspect of what he has put in place. He said some of the things that are being done outdistance anything like it in the country.

The mentoring by officers and the school tutoring that is taking place have been a point of pride during his initial year on the job.

Before walking in to congratulate the city's new fire recruits Friday morning, City Manager Harry Black shared what he told the chief recently.

However, there are a number of people at the community activist level who suspect that since the chief was selected by a previous administration, he skates on ice that is permanently thin.

The possibility of a public demonstration was broached when Cranley met with the Sentinels.

"Oh, well, we told them not to worry about that," Cranley told WLWT News 5. "As long as crime is moving in the right direction."

West Side community leader Pete Witte said the speculation was unsettling, particularly if there is any internal division that could get in the way of reducing crime.

"You know, the one thing that we don't want is to have some morale issue kind of fester within the Cincinnati Police Department," Witte said.

When asked Friday, the chief described department morale as good.

Fraternal Order of Police President Kathy Harrell said she has received calls about the chief from officers who don't care for his style of leadership and from those who think he is terrific.

She pointed out the same type of calls occurred during previous administrations.

Part of what's fueling the uncertainty is the letter of understanding Blackwell signed 14 months ago when he accepted the job.

The new administration does not consider it a contract per se, only a letter that lays out the terms of employment.

Part of those terms are that he could be dismissed without cause at any time.

"What are you saying in regard to the chief's stability?" Davis asked. "Is the chief going to be here or not, because that's the real question."

Blackwell deferred questions about his contract or lack thereof to his Communications Director, Tiffaney Hardy.

"He definitely would like to be here for four or five years or more," Hardy said. "You know, he has moved his family here. His son is acclimated to the community now and they're part of the community."

As president of the Sentinels, Phil Black expressed concern about where all this might be headed.

"The rumors are out there," Phil Black said. "The rumblings you hear is that the administration may not want him."

He said that at the meeting with the mayor, he was told it all depends on the crime numbers.

Cranley underscored that all department heads, including the chief, would be held accountable for performance and outcomes.

Blackwell's position requires non-stop effort.

His tenure appears to be a month-to-month matter.

Incredulous about that, Davis threw out his hands and exclaimed, "We want the chief. I mean, the chief isn't doing anything wrong. I don't even know why we're having this conversation. We shouldn't even be having this conversation. The energy should be somewhere else."

It's clear that the message to the chief, from certain quarters of the community is, "We’ve got your back."